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Last chance | Nominations for the Harold A.D. Roberts Circle Award

Do you know a volunteer who has made a significant contribution to College life? Nominate them for the Harold A.D. Roberts Circle Award.

This annual award is given in recognition of substantial contributions or special service by members of the UCC community, either through short-term involvement or long-term commitment. It recognizes those who go above and beyond to significantly improve the UCC Association and the College. 

The 2024 recipients were Dan Andreae ’72, Brendan Caldwell ’87, Simon Clarke-Okah, Natalie Davidson and Caroline Morgenstern. You can read more about them and their contributions here. 

Nominations are welcome from all members of the College community. They should include information about the nature and time of the nominee's volunteer service and the reason for the nomination. Please click here to fill out the form. Nominations must be submitted by midnight on March 7.

All submissions will be reviewed by the Association Council’s awards committee and the recipients will be selected by the Association Council as a whole. If you have any questions, please d reach out to Associate Director of Community Relations, Leanne Gardner lgardner@ucc.on.ca.

Sincerely,

Chanakya Sethi ’03

President, Association Council

Reminder | No Heads Up during March Break

Today's edition of Heads Up will be the last before the March Break. We look forward to returning to your inboxes on Thursday, March 27. 

Have a restful and enjoyable March Break.

Managing student screen time

Working with your sons on awareness of and strategies for health tech continues to be a priority as a part of our wellbeing action plan. As we head into the March Break, you may be thinking about how to strike a healthy balance in your household when it comes to the use of devices and screen time! The Wellbeing Team has put together this collection of tips and resources so you can support your child with their device usage.

In today’s digital age, managing screen time is crucial for children's health and wellbeing. Both emphasize setting clear boundaries around digital technology to promote better physical and mental health. Excessive screen time can affect sleep, physical activity, and self-esteem (AboutKidsHealth; School Mental Health Ontario).

Practical tips for families:

1. Set Screen-Free Zones: Create areas in your home, such as eating areas, where devices aren’t allowed. This promotes family interaction and reduces reliance on screens.

2. Encourage Outdoor Play: Substitute screen time with active hobbies like biking or sports. Children can engage in fun activities that improve both mental and physical health.

3. Use Parental Controls: Apps like Family Link or Screen Time help monitor and limit usage. For example, setting daily limits on games or social media can ensure balanced use of digital devices.

4. Be a Role Model: Lead by example. When children see parents putting down their devices during family time, they’re more likely to follow suit. If you limit your own screen time, you encourage children to also limit time on devices. 

5. Collaborative Goal Setting: Work with your child to set realistic screen time limits, allowing them to be involved in creating healthy boundaries, fostering responsibility, and self-regulation.

By incorporating these strategies, families can create a healthy balance between digital and offline activities, supporting their children's wellbeing and development.

Screen Time Recommendations (Canadian Pediatric Society, Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology):

• Under 2 years: No screen time.

• Ages 2-4: Less than 1 hour daily.

• Ages 5-17: Maximum of 2 hours per day, excluding educational use.

Signs of Problematic Screen Time:

• Mood swings or irritability when asked to stop.

• Lack of interest in offline activities or physical exercise.

• Difficulty sleeping or focusing.

Resources:

• Healthy Social Media Habits — Mind your Mind

• A Teens Guide to Social Media Safety — Safe Search Kids

• Smart Social Networking — Cyberbullying.com

• 5 Online Safety Tips — Kids Help Phone

• Online Gaming — Kids Help Phone

• Youth, Smartphones and Social Media Use — CAMH

We are committed to partnering with you to share resources to support healthy tech use at home. Thank you for your ongoing partnership and enjoy the March Break!

Lindsay Rielly

Year 8-12 Wellbeing Coordinator

Donate | UCC’s Annual Mother’s Day Drive 

In support of our annual Mother's Day Drive, we ar collecting full and travel/hotel sized items including:

• soap and body wash

• shampoo and conditioner 

• body lotion and skin care 

• cosmetics and nail polish

• hair care products

• toothbrushes and toothpaste

• antiperspirant and sanitary products

• beauty samples/perfumes

• small gift sets 

Your donations will be beautifully wrapped for children at shelters to give to their moms on Mother’s Day, so that together they can celebrate this special day.    

If you are travelling over the March Break and have some travel toiletries or beauty regifts — please save and drop off when you return!

Donations can be dropped off at the reception desk in the Upper School or main office of the Prep. 

Please contact Linda Carvalho at lcarvalho@ucc.on.ca if you have any questions about drop off, or Samantha Dugas at indianasam@hotmail.com if you have questions about donations.

Register | Norval Maple Madness, March 23

Please join us for Norval Maple Madness on Sunday, March 23, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. or from 1 to 3 p.m. 

All members of the UCC community are welcome to attend and tour the sugar bush, learn how trees are tapped, see sap boiled into syrup and even get a taste test. 

Back at Stephen House, we will have pancakes and sausages with Norval maple syrup and an assortment of goodies and refreshments.

At this time of year, our trails can be quite muddy and often slippery. Rubber or snow boots are recommended. Come dressed for the weather, and we suggest bringing towels or a change of clothes for the drive home. Dogs on leashes are welcome to join (but won’t have access to the indoors).

Click here to register or contact Cynthia Shipley at 416-484-6674. 

Parking information
Due to the weather, we will share updated parking information closer to the date. Please check the registration page for the most up-to-date information.

Directions
Take Highway 401 west to Winston Churchill Boulevard. Follow Winston Churchill Boulevard north and go through the Village of Norval. Continue straight ahead. The entrance to the Norval property is on your left, 1.2 km north of the village stoplight. The drive takes about 50 minutes from UCC in light traffic.